Act Your Age
by CarsmeCarlislexEsme
Summary: It's no secret that parents are embarrassing. And vampire parents are no exception to the rule. Soon after the Cullen's move back to Forks, Bella learns just how Carlisle and Esme mortify their children. But, perhaps the Cullen Children's distaste for their parents' odd behavior isn't rooted in embarrassment, but rather another feeling all together. Set after New Moon.


Even though they had been gone for months, the way back to the Cullen's home would always be easy for Bella to navigate. However, instead of the unfathomable amount of dread that consumed the brunette the last time she drove here alone, a feeling of excitement took its place. Today the Cullen family was officially moving back to Forks. Sure they had begun the process of 'un-relocating' soon after the altercation in Italy, but according to Edward even vampires didn't like unpacking. Alice had said that even if they all helped, it would end up taking twice as long to get the house settled. Esme liked everything to be in its rightful place. And she would go behind all of them, picking up their possessions, and correcting the location until the house once again felt like home.

Bella rounded the last curve before she reached the mansion when she suddenly saw Edward and siblings standing at the edge of the forest. Slowly, she pulled the truck to the side of the road and hopped out of the driver's side. Edward was the only one who made notice of her arrival with a small wave to join. The rest of the Cullen's stood quietly, looking almost horrified as they stared off in the direction of their home. When Bella finally made it over to her boyfriend, he placed his arm around her shoulder. She could now hear their quiet mumbling.

"I thought those boxes were supposed to get "lost" in this move," Rosalie glared in Edward's direction.

"You should have let me burn them when we had the chance," Alice rolled her eyes.

Edward sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "We can't just burn their things Alice. Especially things that bring them so much joy."

"We should be allowed to if those items are torture for us," the little pixie spat, shuddering slightly.

"It's not that bad guys," Emmett spoke next, "We'll just endure this phase like we have in the past."

Jasper shook his head, "I'm not sure I have the strength to do this again. The images are still burned into my mind from the last time this happened."

"No, Emmett's right," her copper haired vampire interjected, "We're just going to have to push through. It won't last long. It never does."

"It lasted an entire decade and then some, when it first happened," Rose closed her eyes, "I thought it would _never _end!"

Bella quietly raised her hand, face full of concern, "May I ask what you guys talking about?"

"Don't worry about it," Edward replied tenderly, "Just get back in the truck and we'll go to your house today."

"Oh no," Jasper glared, "You can't tell us to suck it up when you'll basically be living at Bella's"

"And if she's going to be one of us eventually, she might as well find out now," Emmett snickered, "Better to know what you're getting into before you make the official change."

"Ok," the brunette knitted her brows together, "You're scaring me a little. What do I need to know? What's going on?"

"It's Carlisle and Esme," Alice looked at her friend with worried eyes, "They found their boxes from the 70s and 80s. And Bella it's not pretty."

Bella's face went blank as she stared at all of their terror-struck faces, "I think you guys are overacting…like a lot."

"Oh, it's sweet," Rosalie cooed, "She doesn't understand the horror that comes with Carlisle's disco moves."

"Carlisle…likes disco?" the brunette giggled.

"Likes is a severe understatement," Jasper swallowed hard, "He _loves_ disco! He and Esme started cleaning today while we were at school. Emmett and Rose were driving back the rest of the furniture. And when left alone, they happened upon their boxes full of their old records…"

"So what you're telling me is Carlisle and Esme are home dancing right now," a wide toothy grin spread across Bella's face, "I have to see this!"

As fast as she could, the brown eyed girl jumped back into her truck and drove the remaining way to the house. She should have known that the rest of the Cullen's would have beat her to the porch, but she didn't care. Bella had decided she was going in no matter how much they protested. She threw open the door to the truck and could immediately hear the music ringing from inside the typically quiet home. Edward gave her a pleading glance before Bella pushed passed him, opening the front door. She trudged up the stairs to the source of the music. The siblings slowly and begrudgingly followed a few paces behind her.

When Bella finally reached the living room, she first noticed they shiny disco ball that was currently suspended from the ceiling. All of the furniture was pushed against the wall. And _You Should Be Dancing by the BeeGees _was blasting through the speaker system. In the middle of the room, clad in a pair of grey joggers and a black t-shirt, was Carlisle. He was busting out moves that Bella had only seen done by John Travolta's character in _Saturday Night Fever_, including jumping in the air and into the splits.Across the room Esme had a couch above her head in one hand, and the vacuum in the other. She was wearing a pair of black leggings and one of her husband's old, threadbare t-shirts that the brunette was shocked Alice had let her keep. Bella didn't know if she was more impressed by Carlisle's dancing, Esme's ability to singlehandedly lift furniture, or the fact that both were completely oblivious to the guests in the room.

With a little wiggle in his hips, Carlisle made his way over to his wife, taking both the sofa and the vacuum from her grasp, "Come dance with me, love!"

Esme shook her head with a little giggled, "Darling, I don't think you realize how much dust has adhered itself to every surface after we left."

"Just one, quick, little spin around the living room. For me, my Esme?" he pleaded with her, batting his lashes. Bella tried to suppress a chuckle watching the typically levelheaded doctor put on a puppy-dog pout.

The vampire mother rolled her eyes before extending her hand, "Ok, just one," he spun her into his grasp, "Especially if you want to continue going through those boxes. We have to get the house back in order first."

"Oh, yes, just one," Carlisle grinned, "Because one of those boxes has your sequin jumpsuit in it."

Esme smacked his chest, as the song switched to the next BeeGee's hit, _More Than a Woman. _A large smile spread across Bella's face as the normally reserved couple glided across the hardwood flooring as if they had traveled back in time to a 1970s Night Club. And it soon became very apparent that the doctor was an even better dancer with his wife by his side. The pair giggled as they naturally fell into complex twists and turns, still perfectly content in their own little world. It wasn't until Carlisle spun Esme into an elegant dip, when both their heads snapped from a passionate gaze over to the direction of their audience.

"Oh, hi kids," the mother's head dangled backwards, her hair almost touching the ground, "We didn't know you all had come in. You're done with school? Is it after three already? My where has our day gone!"

"Care to dance?" their father smirked, lifting his dance partner upright.

"Carlisle, Esme," Bella began wide-eyed, "That was…"

"Embarrassing," Edward incorrectly finished his girlfriend's statement.

"What?" Esme replied softly, her face carried a worried expression.

"Come on guys," Rosalie sighed, "Don't be so dense. It's all pretty obnoxious. The dancing. The music. Even mentioning the jumpsuit."

"That is one thing you should have let me torch," Alice glared in Edward's direction, "That and Carlisle's leather pants."

"Excuse me?" the doctor furrowed his brow, "What are you trying to say?"

"Well, ummm, well," Emmett stammered, "I guess it's just a little unbearable for the rest of us when you guys start this stuff up again."

"_Unbearable," _the caramel haired vampire, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Any trace of joy had vanished from her face.

"You guys understand…right?" Jasper turned his head, sensing her sadness.

"Understand? Yes. We do," Carlisle's tone was pointed, as he looked at the rest of his coven member's faces, "Your eyes look dark. Edward you should take Bella home. The rest of you should go hunting."

"Carlisle…" Edward began.

"That was not a request. Go," the blond vampire placed a hand on the small of his wife's back, "Esme and I will finish getting the house in order while you all are out."

With metaphorical tails tucked between their legs, all of them made their way back out through the front door. Bella had never heard Carlisle speak so sharply in the entire time she had known him. His tone always had an understanding quality that seemed to have vanished as he spoke that final sentence. And she couldn't shake the image of Esme's sad and embarrassed face from her mind. The brown eyed girl just couldn't fathom why Edward ad his siblings were so upset by their pseudo parents actions.

"Do you think we were too mean?" Emmett spoke first, obviously feeling the guiltiest.

"No," Alice shook her head, speaking hesitantly, "I don't think so. I had a vision of Carlisle putting the boxes up in the closet. So…that's good."

"Yes," Edward nodded solemnly, "It's probably for the best."

Bella stopped in her tracks, taking a moment to glare at all of them, "You guys can't be serious. You literally shamed them for something that made them so happy. I don't understand why you all are so embarrassed. At least they're actually good at dancing."

"You don't understand," Jasper spoke seriously, "It's not about the dancing, it's about acting their age, and remembering their role in this façade."

"Act their age?" the brunette reared her head back, "Their real ages? So dead? Or their physical ages? So, young, happy, and in love? So, literally what they were just doing? I'm sorry. I guess I'm just confused as to what you expect from them."

"We expect them to act like parents," Edward sighed, lightly touching her am.

Bella shrugged it off, "Ummm, news flash. All parents are embarrassing. Just because yours have had decades of practice doesn't mean they're an exception."

"It's not about them being embarrassing, Bella," Rosalie shouted in frustration, "It's about them leaving."

"Leaving…" she blinked her brown eyes, "What does disco dancing have to do with Carlisle and Esme leaving? They just moved twice in a year. I doubt they want to do it again."

"That didn't stop them in 1972!" Alice folded her arms over her chest, "They sent us off to college one week and were gallivanting throughout Europe the next. And it all started with those damn disco night clubs!"

"And every time the dig out those boxes, they start thinking about what it would be like to do it again," Edward shook his head, "It just wasn't a good time for the rest of us."

Bella blinked a few times, shaking her head, "That is so unbelievably selfish," she turned and started back towards the house.

"What…where are you going?" the copper haired vampire yelled after her.

"I'm going to go learn about the 70s and 80s from two people who sound like they really lived them," she shrugged, as he tried to follow her, "Carlisle's right, you should go hunting."

Stunned by her actions, Edward followed his sibling off into the forest. Feeling rather proud of herself, Bella marched up the front porch and back into the Cullen's home. When she reached the first landing, she noticed that the living room was arranged in its usual fashion. Suddenly, the brunette didn't feel as confident as she did when she was outside. In the year that she hand known Edward's family, it was a well-established fact that his adoptive parents were incredibly private people. So much so that the pair had made the entire third floor of the house their personal domain. Bella had been to the top floor only once, when Edward had taken her to see Carlisle's office. And it was an understood and respected rule among the entire family that it simply wasn't a place you went without asking. Especially, the master bedroom.

Bella decided to peer into Carlisle's office first, the old wooden cross looming over the oak door. The sun was warming the dark wooden walls, his large desk with the brown leather chair, and the shelves stacked full old books. But, the doctor wasn't there. She walked slowly to Esme's studio which could only be accessed by a small hallway that was attached to the office. It was the brightest room in the entire house with three fourths of the walls and half the ceiling being made of glass. The studio was just as warm as the adjacent room, but in a different way. Where Carlisle's space was cozy and clean with antique charm, Esme's was very modern, but seemed far more lived in. She already had brushes soaking in the sink by a half finished painting. Several blue prints were strewn across her standing desk. And her favorite smock was hanging by the door. Yet, Esme was nowhere in sight.

The brunette swallowed hard as she passed back through the office and down the long hallway to their bedroom door. Bella thought for a moment. Had she ever seen inside this room of the house? Or had Edward just pointed out their door in passing? She raised her hand, lightly rapping on the oak. From inside she heard a quiet voice whisper, _Come In! _It was Esme. Bella pushed open the door revealing an equally bright room. The floor was a light wood, which almost effortlessly blended into the soft crème area rug. The ceiling was vaulted with white barn wood coming to the center, where a very modern light fixture hung. At the front of the room was a tall white marble fire place with a small sitting area around it. Bella squinted across the room at mirrored wall and found Esme sitting on the rather large bed, dwarfed by the twelve pillows that rested against the alabaster head board. The room was a perfect blend of both their styles.

"Oh, honey, it's just Bella," Esme cooed, in the direction of the closet.

Carlisle came around the corner with a large box in hand, "Do come in dear," he smiled in his usual kind way.

As Bella made her way over to the bed, she discovered exactly what the vampire mother was doing. In her lap she held a large leather bound photo album. The brunette came closer, seeing that every aged photo was of the doctor and his wife. Her brown eyes watched as Esme carefully turned each page, admiring the vintage styles and foreign backgrounds, until a famous face popped up.

"Is that Freddie Mercury?" Bella's mouth fell open.

"Yes, it is," the mother's perfectly polished flingers lightly touched the photograph.

"Freddie loved Esme," Carlisle smiled, leaning against the door frame.

"He adored you too dear," Esme raised her brows, smirking back.

"Yes, but I didn't get letters," the doctor laughed, climbing into bed next to his wife.

"Freddie Mercury wrote to you?!" the brunette perched herself on the edge of the bed, "How?"

"We might have followed _Queen _around Europe, once upon a time" the blonde vampire grinned, "It was a good few months!"

"Months? What about the hospital?" Bella cocked her head in curiosity.

"Carlisle didn't work most of the 70s," Esme turned to the young girl, "We sort of went off on our own to celebrate our 50th anniversary. And that celebration lasted a bit longer than we originally intended. He quit his job at the hospital and simply didn't get another. We moved back to his home town of London…"

"Lived as 'newlyweds' in a studio apartment," Carlisle stretched across the bed, "Spent all of our time painting, writing, going to night clubs, following bands..."

"And all on the back of your motorcycle," the vampire matriarch gazed at her husband fondly, "We over did it perhaps. The children were not too thrilled when we finally returned."

Carlisle rolled his eyes, before he turned to Bella, "They were fine. They all went to college again and were given more than enough money to live incredibly plush lifestyle. Nevertheless, they were not happy," he shrugged, then chuckled "Didn't even want to hear about our grand adventure."

"I do," Bella blinked, "I want to know all of it."

The vampire parents looked at her skeptically as they hesitantly began to tell their son's girlfriend of their journeys throughout Europe on the back of a sleek little motor bike. They showed her pictures of how they dressed and all of the concerts they attended. Bella marveled at the names of musical greats such as, _ABBA, The Beatles, The BeeGees, Sony and Cher, Elton John_, and of course _Queen. _She enjoyed hearing the stories of Carlisle and Esme 'acting their age' hauled up in a little apartment without a care in the world. Some days were adventures, while others were spent at home making art. The brunette admired the sights and was in awe of all the languages the couple could speak. And she laughed as they modeled the purple sequin jumpsuit, and tight leather pants.

"Ok, ok," Bella smiled, "What is your favorite song from this decade? Like which one reminds you most of this time you spent apart? Just one."

"Just one song?" Esme giggled, "That's impossible."

"A favorite?" Carlisle scratched his chin, "A singular favorite. Goodness that is tough!"

"Not really," Rosalie's voice echoed from across the room, as she and the rest of her siblings, stood in the doorway, "I would put money on _'Somebody to Love' by Queen. _Trust me Bella that's their favorite."

"Babe," Emmett led them all into the room, "I love you, but you are so wrong. That might be mom's favorite song. But, dad's number one _Queen _song is _Fat Bottomed Girls."_

"Carlisle!" Esme placed a hand on her head.

The doctor chuckled with a smirk, "I mean he's not wrong. It's a great song."

"But, I know it's not your favorite," Alice climbed on the bed, "You guys love the song _I Got You Babe by Sonny and Cher."_

"Nope," Jasper turned to his wife, "You all couldn't feel the happiness radiating off of them as they dance this morning. The BeeGees got them into this, and I can almost guarantee that song holds highest rank."

"Wrong," Edward placed his hands on Bella's shoulders, his eyes gazing at his parents, "I know."

"That's not fair," his girlfriend looked up at him, "You can read their minds."

"Oh, I don't need to peer into their thoughts," the copper haired vampire grinned, "I swear they've requested I play Elton John's _Your Song, _more times than I can even count."

A small smile played on Esme's face, as her eyes met her children's, "Clearly you've paid some attention. I'm sorry if it was _unbearable."_

Bella watched as Edward's face fell, "No, Esme, we're sorry. Honestly. Sometimes we just get a little anxious when you pull this all out."

"Anxious? Whatever for?" Carlisle turned to him with concern.

"You know, in case you guys decide to leave again," Jasper sat at the foot of the bed, "I can feel the overwhelming sense of joy you both feel when you think about that time in your life."

"Edward can see how perfectly happy you are in your memories," Alice began, "And a few times I've seen what you would do if you left again. Which means you've thought about it. More than once."

"It was weird when you left," Emmet sighed, "It just kind of felt like something was sort of missing. We were all going to college, and just sort of floating through a big old house."

"So, I guess what we're trying to say is, we don't hate your dancing. We hate the idea of you leaving. And we're sorry for upsetting you," Rose fiddled with the edge of the duvet, "But, we much prefer it when you both stay here…with us. Keeping us out of trouble. Loving us, even when we pretend like we don't need it."

"And we know it's selfish," Edward continued, "But, we like to think that you might just need us too."

It was silent for a long time as they all waited for one of them to respond. Bella could feel the anxiety in the air, knowing how hard it was for her boyfriend and his siblings to admit to being scared. The brunette's face scanned the vampire parents. Carlisle's caring eyes looked at each nervous face and gave them an understanding nod. Esme sat fidgeting with her fingers, looking as if she could cry.

"Thank you for coming to us. We really appreciate your honesty. Now there is one thing we must discuss," the doctor spoke precisely, "Which one of you is going to come hug your mother before she explodes with happiness?"

Without hesitation, Emmett jumped on to the bed, gently tackling the entire family in a giant hug. Under Edward's protective grasp, Bella watched as Carlisle gently squeezed his first son's shoulder, while Alice hugged their father tightly. Esme threw her head back in laughter, as Rosalie rested her head on her shoulder. The mother reached out and tenderly gabbed Jasper's hand, as he was being squished under his brother's weight. And as Emmett's strong arms brought them together, Bella realized that no matter how old you are, perhaps you never truly out grow your parents.


End file.
